Tag: rashid shaheed

4 free agents the Saints should re-sign this offseason

The New Orleans Saints don’t have many high-profile free agents, but they should make an effort to keep these four players:

The New Orleans Saints don’t have a lot of big-name free agents this year, but the Saints do have a few names that are worth saving. Head coach Dennis Allen is aware of what’s at stake for him this year and should understand there are some holes you can’t go into the season hoping will fill themselves.

Because they were so proactive last summer signing players to early extensions, the Saints also showed better depth than they have in previous years, especially on defense. Injuries are going to happen in the NFL, and the Saints weathered that storm in 2023. This is a quality they should look to repeat next season by keeping some depth pieces in free agency.

These are four players the Saints should re-sign:

Saints free agent preview: WR Michael Thomas, stay or go?

Our New Orleans Saints free agent previews continue with Michael Thomas. He can still play, but Derek Carr may not be the best QB fit for him:

All signs point to this being the end of the road for the New Orleans Saints and Michael Thomas. His contract was structured in such a way to make it easier on the team’s salary cap to release him in March, and his comments on social media about the team’s coaching staff and quarterback don’t paint a picture of someone eager to run it back.

If so, it’s a shame. Thomas was on a trajectory that would have sent him to the Pro Football Hall of Fame before a series of unfortunate injuries derailed his career. He did the work to be a good teammate, buying into what Dennis Allen was selling and doing his part to recruit Derek Carr to New Orleans while mentoring younger players on the roster. Now it’s looking like things are coming to an end.

Still, it’s worth looking back on his last season in a Saints uniform and objectively arguing whether or not he should return again in 2024. Let’s keep this series going:

Dennis Allen issues statement on hiring new OC Klint Kubiak

New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen issued a statement on the team hiring its new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak:

The New Orleans Saints have announced that Klint Kubiak will be officially hired as their new offensive coordinator, replacing Pete Carmichael — who had been the longest-tenured OC in the league. But change was needed, and it falls on Kubiak to install a new system that can maximize the talents of players like quarterback Derek Carr, running back Alvin Kamara, and wide receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed.

One person who’s jazzed about the pickup: head coach Dennis Allen, who laid out Kubiak’s qualifications and expectations on Wednesday afternoon.

“We are excited to announce Klint Kubiak as our offensive coordinator,” Allen said in a team statement. “I want to thank the various impressive candidates that we interviewed throughout this process. Klint has done an excellent job in a variety of roles in ten years in the NFL and has valuable play-calling experience. He has played an important role in the growth of many players throughout his career, starting with the quarterback position. I look forward to us getting to work as we form our offensive staff and to see Klint lead that group, play a pivotal role in the development of our players on offense and maximize our strengths on offense.”

The Saints met with at least eleven different candidates before selecting Kubiak for the job — some of their first choices were hired by other teams, but their interest in Kubiak started early, and he chose New Orleans over some other opportunities. It’s clear that Allen has confidence Kubiak can modernize their offense and compete each week.

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Chris Olave’s goal for 2024 is clear: Win a Super Bowl in New Orleans

Chris Olave is pleased with his personal growth in the NFL so far, but he has a bigger goal for 2024: Win a Super Bowl in New Orleans

There aren’t many players more important to the New Orleans Saints’ success than Chris Olave. The former Ohio State Buckeyes standout is going into his third season with the Saints, and while he’s pleased with the positive growth in his game, he has higher expectations. He wants to bring New Orleans a championship.

And he knows he has a chance to do it in his own backyard. When discussing his goals for 2024, Olave made his ambitions crystal-clear.

“Super Bowl, baby,” Olave told Bleacher Report’s Scott Polacek. “And it’s in New Orleans.”

Next year’s Super Bowl LIX will be played at the Caesars Superdome and Olave knows how meaningful it would be to bring the city a title on their home turf. It’s been done only twice in the 58-year history of the championship game, but both instances were recent: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did it in Super Bowl LV and the Los Angeles Rams repeated the feat in Super Bowl LVI.

And more impressive games from Olave will help the team go the distance. Olave improved on all of his numbers in his second season with the Saints — he played in more games (16 over 15), drew more targets (138 over 119), aught more passes (87 over 72), gained more yards (1,123 over 1,042) and scored more touchdowns (5 over 4) while picking up more first downs (57 over 48).

His catch rate increased with Derek Carr throwing to him instead of Andy Dalton (63.0% over 60.5%) and he averaged more catches and yards per game, becoming a more well-rounded threat with 12.9 yards per catch over 14.5 in his rookie year. His average depth of target fell from 14.2 yards to 13.3, but he gained a full yard more per reception after the catch.

And he’s pleased with that development, reflecting on his second season: “It went really well. The first goal is always winning, but just as a personal season it went well. I feel like I can maximize my potential a bit more, but I had great teammates and great coaches around me. I’m excited to keep growing and keep moving forward.”

The Saints are going to ask a lot of him in 2024. Olave is going to draw even more targets with Michael Thomas expected to be released into free agency in March. His fellow third-year wideout Rashid Shaheed will return as an exclusive-rights free agent, and second-year draft pick A.T. Perry made some great plays down the stretch in 2023. It’ll take all of them to get New Orleans to the Super Bowl this time next year.

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Saints get Derek Carr more weapons in this two-round mock draft

The New Orleans Saints got Derek Carr more weapons in ESPN’s two-round mock draft after the Senior Bowl:

We’re only going to see more mock drafts as the 2024 NFL draft draws closer, so it’s important to remember why these are valuable: accuracy isn’t necessarily the point. Exploring different scenarios and considering different players is the focus in these thought exercises. Still, they sometimes have a nugget of truth in them — draft experts keyed in quickly on the New Orleans Saints’ interest in Bryan Bresee, Chris Olave, and Trevor Penning in recent years.

The latest projection comes from ESPN’s Matt Miller, who broke down two rounds of picks after spending a week catching up with NFL scouts and team personnel at Senior Bowl practices. And his vision for the Saints is clear: get Derek Carr more weapons. That starts in the first round by picking Georgia tight end Brock Bowers at No. 14 overall. Miller writes:

The Saints miss out on the quarterbacks and top wide receivers in this scenario, but they land a legitimate top-10 talent in Bowers. Built in the mold of George Kittle or Sam LaPorta, Bowers had 56 catches and six scores in 2023, and he left college with 26 career receiving touchdowns to go along with five rushing scores. The 6-foot-4 240-pounder shows great strength when asked to block, but his real value is as a middle-of-the-field receiver, where he can post up safeties and run past linebackers.

Both of the Saints’ top tight ends, Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau, underperformed last season. They’re each under contract for 2024 but it wouldn’t hurt to invest in a long-term plan at the position. Tight ends are notoriously slow to develop but the thinking is Bowers has enough athleticism to help out right away as a receiver while working on his blocking. He has averaged an impressed 8.5 yards after the catch per reception in his career while going 23-of-39 on contested catches (59%), per Pro Football Focus charting.

What about the second round? Miller has the Saints spending their second pick (at No. 45, coming from the Denver Broncos) on South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette. He weighed in a little shorter than his listed size at the Senior Bowl but he still has plenty to work with, having broken out in his fifth season with the Gamecocks. Miller sees him as a good fit in New Orleans:

Veteran wide receiver Michael Thomas is expected to hit free agency and might not return, leaving the Saints with a hole opposite Chris Olave. Legette is powerful at 6-foot-1 and 227 pounds and has an ability to play inside or outside. He’s a master on crossing routes and averaged 17.6 yards per reception in 2023.

Hopefully Carr can have more success targeting those routes over the middle with Legette than he did with Thomas; Carr’s hesitancy on those timing routes attacking the middle of the field were a problem throughout the season. He’s more comfortable targeting the boundary and going outside the numbers than throwing into traffic. Legette would need to help build Carr’s confidence in those passes to bring crossers, slants, and other in-breaking routes back to the offense.

But having multiple high-upside receivers under contract for the foreseeable future would be big. The Saints will retain Rashid Shaheed on an exclusive-rights free agent tender this season (it’s their only option, according to the CBA) and they have both Chris Olave and A.T. Perry playing on rookie contracts. Adding Legette and Bowers to the mix could help prop up Carr and establish a strong supporting cast for the next Saints quarterback if his stay in New Orleans ends up being only temporary.

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Erik McCoy named to his first career Pro Bowl Games appearance

Erik McCoy, a first-time New Orleans Saints team captain in 2023, has been selected for his first career Pro Bowl Games appearance:

Congratulations are in order for Erik McCoy: the New Orleans Saints center has been added to the 2024 Pro Bowl Games roster, where he’ll join two teammates — punt returns specialist Rashid Shaheed and linebacker Demario Davis.

McCoy was selected as an alternate, replacing injured Detroit Lions starter Frank Ragnow. He and Philadelphia Eagles icon Jason Kelce will be representing the NFC.

It’s the first Pro Bowl selection for McCoy in his NFL career, and it’s well-earned. He was the team’s best offensive lineman in 2023 and did a lot to stabilize a group that could have fallen into disarray after some early struggles. McCoy was also named a Saints team captain for the first time this season. Hopefully he and his family can enjoy this experience in Orlando before shifting gears to prepare for a pivotal 2024 season.

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Demario Davis selected for 2024 Pro Bowl Games as an alternate

Saints captain Demario Davis has been selected for 2024 Pro Bowl Games as an alternate, replacing Super Bowl-bound 49ers linebacker Fred Warner:

Congratulations are in order for Demario Davis: the New Orleans Saints linebacker has been selected for the 2024 Pro Bowl Games as an alternate, replacing San Francisco 49ers starter Fred Warner on the NFC roster. He’s the first Saints linebacker selected for back-to-back Pro Bowls since Jonathan Vilma did it in 2009 and 2010.

Davis, 35, was also named to the Pro Bowl Games last season for the first time in his impressive NFL career. He’s earned All-Pro recognition in each of the last five years with the Saints but this is just his second Pro Bowl Games appearance. He’ll be joining teammate Rashid Shaheed at this year’s event.

The 2024 Pro Bowl Games will feature several days of contests between the NFC and AFC all-star rosters, leading up to a flag football game scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 4 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. Fans can tune in on ESPN, ABC, Disney XD, ESPN+, and ESPN Deportes.

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Michael Thomas says he was ‘set up by a bad ball’ on season-ending injury

Michael Thomas says he was ‘set up by a bad ball’ on a season-ending injury. Derek Carr’s hospital balls were a problem in 2023:

It’s not an NFL Sunday without a little New Orleans Saints drama — even after the team’s season has ended. Michael Thomas stirred the pot while chatting with fans on social media about his rough 2023 campaign, sharing his take on the season-ending knee injury.

Thomas said that he “probably would’ve had a light little (1,000) yards this year” had he not injured his knee early in Week 10 against the Minnesota Vikings, but he didn’t take the blame for getting hurt. Instead, he pointed to quarterback Derek Carr, saying he had been “set up by a bad ball.”

It was a rough play. The ball was thrown high and behind him, so Thomas had to adjust by turning his back to the defensive back and extending vertically to reach the ball. Vikings corner Akayleb Evans collided with him, tangling their legs, and one of Thomas’ cleats caught in the turf on his way down, awkwardly twisting his knee. He exited the game and did not return.

On top of that, Thomas says the Saints weren’t making an effort to get him the ball. After being targeted 7, 8, 7, and 7 times, he was thrown to only once the week before this Vikings game. He averaged a career-low 3.9 receptions and 44.8 yards per game last season prior to his injury, putting him pace for just 66 catches and 761 yards over 17 games. That had to be disappointing after Thomas played a key role recruiting Carr to New Orleans, a signing which he celebrated on social media. Thomas compared Carr to Drew Brees after they first practiced together.

Unfortunately, Carr isn’t effective throwing passes on the routes that Thomas runs best: in-breaking crossers and slants where he can use his physicality and large frame to bully smaller defenders. His scattershot accuracy got his receivers hurt throughout the season; Rashid Shaheed suffered a quad strain and Chris Olave sprained his ankle when adjusting to off-target passes. It’s disappointing that it’s come to this but Thomas is right to feel this way. If Carr had thrown a better ball (and thrown his way more often), he may have enjoyed more success in 2023. Instead, Thomas is very likely playing elsewhere in 2024.

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4 reasons for hope Saints fans should carry into 2024

Between some fun young receivers on offense and a division that’s still looking vulnerable, here 4 reasons for hope New Orleans Saints fans should carry into 2024:

The New Orleans Saints had a down year in 2023 and a lot of fans are feeling like there’s nothing to look forward to. Well that’s not the case! Despite the team’s overall shortcomings, there are some things that should be cause for celebration.

The team overall is pretty old, but there are a few young players and foundations for position groups to build around in the future. Even the foundation for a successful team is already set now, but they need to have more cohesion to put it together.

Here are four reasons to have hope for the future of the Saints:

Saints pick a surprising LSU product in Mel Kiper mock draft

The Saints picked a surprising LSU product in Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft, adding a big-time wide receiver in Brian Thomas Jr.:

There’s a long-running narrative that the New Orleans Saints avoid drafting players out of LSU, but it’s not like they pointedly pass on the Tigers each year — it’s just rare for the stars to align so that those players stay in Louisiana after turning pro. And the latest mock draft from ESPN’s Mel Kiper changes that trend, though maybe not in the way the Saints-LSU fan contingent might expect.

It’s not Jayden Daniels going to the Saints at No. 14 overall in Kiper’s most recent projection, but one of his receivers: and it isn’t Malik Nabers, neither. With the top three receivers all being picked inside the top-10, it’s LSU standout Brian Thomas Jr. going to New Orleans. Here’s why Kiper says he’s a good fit:

Derek Carr had an up-and-down debut season in New Orleans, and his sizable contract almost certainly means he’ll be back as the starter in 2024. But what do we know about the playmakers around him? Chris Olave is a star who has put up back-to-back seasons with 1,000 receiving yards. After that? There are big questions. Michael Thomas likely will move on this offseason, while Alvin Kamara has regressed in recent years. And while Rashid Shaheed showed he can be a useful complementary receiver, Carr could use another asset in the receiving game to try to boost this offense.

Thomas, the third of the LSU offensive players off the board in this projection, led the FBS with 17 touchdown catches last season while averaging 17.3 yards per reception. He had just three drops on 93 targets. He can take the top off defenses and be a stellar No. 2 option as a rookie. Plus, the born-and-raised Louisiana kid wouldn’t have to leave the state.

Thomas posted modest numbers through his first two years at LSU before breaking out in 2023 with 68 receptions for 1,177 yards. He primarily lined up out wide in the Tigers’ offense but was still a threat to make plays after the catch (averaging 5.7 yards per catch with the ball in his hands). He went 7-of-13 on contested catches this year (53.8%) and is 17-of-36 (47.2%) on those targets in his career.

Look for the Saints to stock up on receivers this offseason. Right now they have just two of them under contract for 2024 in Chris Olave and A.T. Perry, though Rashid Shaheed will return as an exclusive rights free agent. Michael Thomas is technically signed but the Saints must choose whether to extend his contract or release him from it before free agency starts in March.

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